Alex Sarama, Cavs Assistant, Will Coach Fire in the WNBA

Alex Sarama Will Lead the New WNBA Team in Portland

The Portland Fire have announced Alex Sarama, assistant coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the head coach of their new WNBA team. The news was confirmed by the team and Sarama himself. Sarama is recognized for his knowledge of an innovative training system that has gained popularity in European basketball, soccer, and, increasingly, in the NBA. Players like Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and coaches like Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers are followers of this approach.

Having the opportunity to implement CLA (Constraints-Led Approach) principles with an expansion team is an ideal scenario.

Alex Sarama

Sarama explained that the CLA approach allows him and General Manager Vanja Černivec to hire staff that fits the new system, avoiding the need to unlearn previous systems. The team seeks to emulate the success of the Golden State Valkyries in their first year in the WNBA. Černivec, who comes from the Valkyries, where she was vice president of basketball operations, has a deep knowledge of the European market. Černivec met Sarama years ago at the NBA office in Madrid, being impressed by her intellect and passion for training.

For me, he was a genius. He produced documents and work that took me two hours; he did them in five or ten minutes.

Vanja Černivec

In addition to his academy, Sarama had successful experiences as a coach with the London Lions, Paris Basketball, and RipCity Remix. His fame grew after the publication of his bestseller, “Transforming Basketball”, in 2024. Atkinson, who read the book, incorporated him as a player development coach for the Cavaliers. The CLA is a training methodology that emphasizes adaptability, improvisation, and decision-making instead of predetermined patterns and exercises. Sarama rarely repeats the same exercise, using games with restrictions to force players to make decisions under pressure. Sarama highlighted that the players enjoy this approach, as it offers a change compared to traditional NBA training. Creativity in training is a key aspect. Hiring NBA coaches is becoming increasingly common in the WNBA, especially after the success of the Phoenix Mercury under coach Nate Tibbetts and general manager Nick U’Ren. Sarama and the Cavaliers are discussing when she will leave Cleveland to start full-time in Portland. The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement expires on October 31, and negotiations on the new agreement could affect the expansion draft and free agency. For now, she will remain in Cleveland, but hopes to start soon in Portland, which will begin its participation in May 2026.